1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a ladder, and more particularly to a ladder with a side support enhancement, wherein the side support enhancement is adapted to enhance the ground support of the ladder to further stabilize the ladder when it is set up.
2. Description of Related Arts
Ladders are considered as one of the most convenient and easy accesses to overhead working platform which frequently required for fixing and installing overhead equipments. A conventional ladder comprises a standing frame having two parallel side legs, a supporting frame pivotally connected with an upper end of the standing frame, and a plurality of step platforms transversely and spacedly between the side legs of the standing frame.
Accordingly, the conventional ladder can be folded to a storage position by pivotally the standing frame towards the supporting frame and folded to a set up position that the front and supporting frames are pivotally folded to form an inverted V-structure such that the lower ends of the front and supporting frames are supported on the ground. However, the conventional ladder has several drawbacks.
For safety purpose, the ladder must be stably supported on the ground at the set up position. There are two main safety factors for maintaining the ladder in a stabilized manner, which are a folding angle between the first and second supporting frames and a distance between the two side legs of the standing frame. While increasing the folding angle, the distance between the lower ends of the front and second supporting frames is substantially increased. However, the height of the ladder will be reduced so as to reduce the overhead working ability of the ladder. In addition, when the distance between the side legs of the standing frame is increased, the size of the ladder must be structurally increased, so as to reduce the portability of the ladder even though it is folded up.
Another drawback of the conventional ladder is that the pivotal folding structure of the ladder is still resulted in a bulky size such that the conventional ladder is inconvenient and difficult to store and carry. Due to the demand of the ladder, a compact ladder has been required and chased by consumers.
By a simple analysis of the conventional ladder, as described above, one may easily discover that if the step platforms would be folded to receive into the two side legs of the standing frame, the size of the ladder would be substantially reduced. However, from engineering's viewpoint, folding the step platforms to the standing frame while keeping its stability and supporting ability unaffected is somewhat complicated and baffling.
First and foremost, if the step platforms are foldably connected between the side legs of the standing frame, their strength and stability of load carrying are difficult to ensure. Therefore, some sorts of highly reliable reinforcements have to be equipped to supplement the strength and stability lost and this is not successful for granted. If handle carelessly, the ladder will not be rigid enough and may cause harmful to the user.
Besides, in order to fold up the step platforms, each of them should be pivotally connected between the side legs of the standing frame. In addition, when the ladder is in the set up position, the step surface of each step platform must horizontally face upward so that the user is able to climb up the ladder through the step platforms. However, the typical joints only allow the step platforms to pivotally move toward the side legs. In other words, when the ladder is in the set up position that the standing frame is inclinedly supported on the ground, the step surface of each step platform is in a slanted position with respect to the ground. It is dangerous for the user to step on the slanted step surfaces of the step platforms for overhead working.